Principle Eight: Embrace Love
Love, love, love, Love is all you need... It is the unifying Principle that ties all of the others together. It is the eternal battle of the Self versus the Self.
Can you stay in a Loving space in the presence of Fear? Can you maintain unconditional Love for yourself regardless of what you BE, DO or HAVE?
Can you Love others regardless of the judgments you may have of them? Can you Love life regardless of what comes your way?
Link: Theory
Link: Toolbox
Core Practice
The core practice is the two practices from the Toolbox.
Firstly get yourself into a place of Love. Go off to your quiet place. Sit comfortably, do some four fold breathing—you know the drill by now...
Imagine a place or a person that makes you feel joyful and loving. Go to that place. Feel the breeze on your face, listen to the sounds that surround you, smell the aromas. Allow yourself to bask in the feeling of love.
Notice what the sensations are in your body. Notice how the energy around you changes. Allow a smile to come to your face. Imagine your entire aura ñ the energy sphere around your body ñ filling up with this loving energy.
Now become aware of the edges of your energetic sphere. See if you can consciously sense where your energetic sphere ends.
Once you can do that start pushing it outwards allowing it to expand bigger and bigger. See your energetic sphere expanding out beyond the bounds of the room you are in, beyond the bounds of your house. See your viewpoint shift as you rise up above your house as your energetic sphere continues to expand taking in the whole city then the whole country. Keep expanding your sphere until it encompasses the whole earth and your viewpoint is from space.
Notice that your energetic sphere is now one with everything. Say to yourself, ìThere is no I, there is no me, just all of usî
Now start radiating loving energy to all of the beings in the world. You can visualize this as pure white light or bright blue light. See it filling up the entire sphere covering the entire earth. Think of all the other people out there who are, at this very moment, sitting and meditating in places all round the world, sending love to the world also. See your loving energy linking up with theirs and forming an ever-stronger swirling pool of love.
Stay in this space for as long as possible allowing the love to go to where it is most needed.
Then when you are complete slowly allow your energetic sphere to shrink back down to normal size. Seal your sphere up with white light. Set your intention to see all beings as just another part of you and then slowly come back to the present moment.
"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."
- Anon
Resources
Articles & Books
- 'I will great this day with love in my heart' by Og Mandino see the website www.ogmandino.com
- 'Teachings on Love' by Thich Nhat Hanh see the website www.plumvillage.org
- 'Strength to Love' by Martin Luther King Jr see the website www.thekingcenter.org
- 'A Return to Love' by Marianne Williamson see the website www.marianne.com
MP3s and Videos
- For MP3s it's always good to look at Sounds True www.soundstrue.com
- For videos see TED www.ted.com
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